Salvation < Satisfaction?

It is a sad state when a church's objective truths of salvation, worship, and evangelism are pushed aside and replaced with subjective preference. When trivial things such as the style of worship or the order of a service or the presentation of the message are inflated to an importance on the level of salvation itself, we, as the Church, have lost sight of the most important thing in our faith; we have forgotten the reason why we even go to church.

When we cause a ruckus over the method of serving communion or presenting the announcements then we are either being ritualistic or selfish; we either think that we have to do it because we've always done it that way, or we simply don't want to change , or both.

It's way too easy to get caught up in the worldly view of the church, focusing in on the things we see, and losing sight of the things we can't. We too often sacrifice the important things of God for the important things of man, throwing faith, salvation, belief, and evangelism out the window, and replacing them with preference, satisfaction, ritualism, and attractiveness. Too often, we are focused on the church, and forget about the Church.

We are called to be distinct from this world. How then can we act like those who are lost?

Romans 12:2 

Shepherding

I'm doing a lesson at the Bible camp that I'm working all summer. It's on the passage from John 10 when Jesus was speaking of the Good Shepherd and His qualities.

I've gotten this from this passage:

A good shepherd has three qualities:

• Selflessness (John 10:11, Ezek. 34:2-10)
• Pastorship (John 10:14)
• Guardianship (John 10:24)

Each of us is a shepherd, whether we want to be or not. Whether you're a pastor, a father, a quarterback on your football team, or a member of  the local bingo club, you have been given a flock that looks up to you. Christ calls you to lead your flock with grace and with biblically-grounded leadership. I would encourage you to take a look at the passage of Jesus's talk to the Jews in John 10:11-18, (you might start from the beginning of chapter 9, because the shepherding passage proceeds from the story told in the preceding chapter.)

You can read the shepherding passage here: John 10:1-21

You should also read the passage in Ezekiel, where God reprimands the shepherds of Israel for their sub-par leadership of their flocks.

As shepherds, we are called to be selfless, placing the good of the flock over the good of ourselves. The idea of group-over-individual was in place all throughout bible times, invading into the way that families and government worked.The belief of bible times was that the good of the group took greater importance that the good of the individual. A young man married a woman for the good of the family, not for his own personal happiness (of course, they often times were happy in their marriage, but it was not the main reason for their marriage). 

This mentality has almost disappeared in American society. Nowadays, marriage is based on how the other person makes you feel, or how they show their love for you. But the marriage mentality of bible-time cultures was that marriages were for the good of the family, not for personal satisfaction. It was a matter of what the spouse could do for the good of your family, not necessarily for you personally.

The flock is more important than you. This simply does not mesh with modern thought. Christianity is all about me. It's about my relationship with Christ, and I'm called to help others along, but the only necessary thing is my relationship with Christ. We need to strike this from our thought. You relationship is exceedingly important, but we need to pursue others' relationships with Christ with the same intensity that we pursue our own - if not with more.

Your relationship with Christ is vital, however. Christ says in John 10:14, "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay my life down for the sheep." You are called to be pastor to your flock; your relationship with your sheep is the same as your relationship with God. Just as you must seek a relationship with your sheep, you must seek a relationship with your Father. Your relationship with God has direct implications to your relationship with your flock. 

As a shepherd, you are called to protect your flock. This ties the whole pack together. You are called to be selfless, to know your flock personally, and to protect them from danger. You need to guide your flock to "pastures" that are safe and healthy for them. When wolves attack, you need to be willing to lay down your life for the flock (John 10:11). You need to love your flock enough to die for them.

Wherever your flock is, there you will be also - and vice versa. You and your flock stick together, like it or not. You can't live life steeped in sin and attempt to guide your flock to a closer relationship with Christ. You can't lead a successful Bible study and go to strip clubs at the same time - it just won't work. Without the blessing of God, your attempts will not succeed. You will crash and burn.

You're a shepherd whether you want to be or not. We need to live accordingly. I need to look at the way I live and decide what things I need to strike in order to lead my flock with a more pure leadership. We need to draw ourselves closer to Christ, and guide others to a closer relationship with Him as well.

Mourning Breaks

Here's one really big shout out:

Thank you so much to my friends and my family for sticking it out through the storm and showing such strength and courage in the midst of such a traumatic event.

Kenna and Caleb, I love you guys. Your strength really impressed me and your trust in God is inspirational. Keep that faith; it's all that matters.

Mom and Dad, thank you for showing just how much you love me by sticking by my bedside 24/7 for three weeks and sacrificing everything for my safety. Love you two.

To my siblings - I know it must have been tough losing my sarcastic remarks and awkward humor, but thanks for trooping through that tough time where you had to put up with not having me aware. =)

Lucian - Love you, dude. I wouldn't be here without you. You're going to go far. Keep your drive, keep your faith.

Justin, Sam, and whoever else happened to, thanks for helping keep watch over me while I was in recovery. I know I got crazy sometimes - thanks for loving me enough to fight me down. =)

Thank you to my church family. Not only did you care for me and my family while I was in the hospital, but you cared for thousands of displaced and affected citizens, giving them food and water, rest and counsel. You are the Body of Christ, and you proved that on the night of and in the weeks following the tornado.

Thanks to Penny for letting me keep my job at the camp even though I was a full month late to my first shift. The camp means so much to me. You all are awesome.



Finally, thank you and congratulations to the community of Joplin for your astounding response to the tornado literally seconds after it had passed. I believe that the community of my city saved just as many lives as the doctors and nurses who were also vitally important to the response. You, as a community, acted as first responders, counselors, search-and-rescue, firefighters, crowd control, and damage assessment. The people of Joplin forgot who they were on the night of the tornado and became whom they needed to be - whom their fellow people needed.

Joplin - you, as a city, have shown what a mid-western people group can accomplish; as a people, you have defined the ideal community; as a community, you have changed the lives of thousands of people within this city. The impact you have made has impressed itself upon the minds of people worldwide. You have been placed on a spotlight - the light hasn't faded yet. We need to continue to be an example to the nation and to the world for the rest of our lives. This city should be the national example of how a loving community is, not how they were solely in response to a disaster.

Show the world how to love one another; how to love others above yourself; how to "love in spite of" instead of "love because."

The weather clears, and the sun rises; morning breaks and mourning fades, but I pray that the memory of the tornado would always serve to remind us to place priorities where they should be and live out our lives and our faith as we ought. For some, the wounds are still fresh. They need a community surrounding them - this means you - and they need the chance to share their story. Every person who went through the tornado has an incredibly powerful testimony to the rest of the world.

I pray that we never forget:

We are Joplin. Joplin is community. Community is strength. And in the end, Love is Strength.

Love one another with strength and courage, and see if we cannot change the world.

John 13:34-35
V

Who am I that you are mindful of me? That you hear me when I call?

Who am I that you think of me? That my love is enough?

Who am I, that you love me so?

A sinner - doubtless, the worst of men - fallen 'low the dust of the earth. A wretch and a outcast - wayward and broken.

Who am I, that you took me in?

Who am I that you redeemed me?

Killed you in my heart again and again; why do you keep coming back?

Who are you that you keep reappearing?

Who are you that I can't get away?

Piercing, tearing, you enter in; my best defenses fall 'fore your steps.

I cannot hide; never wanted to...

 Who am I that you think of me?

Who are you that you love me?